Separable button



March 10. 19251 1,528,946

J. V. PILCHER ET AL SEPARABLE BUTTON Filed May 24. 1924 Patented Mar. 10, 1925.

UNITED' STATES VPATEN JOHN v. riLoHiia AND JOHN r.' BABBITT, or LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY; SAID BABBiTm v 1,528,946 T oFlFici-i.

f .assielircia.'ro` SAID Haenen.

SEPAMBLE BUTTON.

To all whom t may concern: j,

Be it known that we,'JoHN V. PILCHER and J orrN F. BAi'i'r, citizens of the United States, and residents of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson andState of Kentucky,

have Ainvented certain new and useful Improvements in Separable Buttons, of which the following isv a. specification. 1 l j Our present invention relatesto improve- 1o ments in separable buttons and lis shown as embodied in a buttony designedfor link purposes, as for example, "for use in cuffs, though not limited` to thistype of button.

The invention aims to provide a construction vin which the parts will kbe capable of being readily" fastened or snapped together and as easily separated, butvwhich willbe securely locked in theirassembled condition and prevented from accidentalA displacement.y i

The invention further aims;V to do `this' in such a manner thatv the parts-*when assembled will havefa broad bearingsurface to preventk distortionunder strains and also in a manner which will enable the buttons to be economically manufactured and which ywill produce anl extremely durable article.

Vith these and other objects in view., the invention comprises the novel features Vof construction and arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described, the precise nature and scope ofthe invention being ascertainedf'and'defined by the claims appended hereto.

In orderfthat the invention may drawings illustrative ofthe preferred einbodiment thereof, in which drawings Figure 1 is a `transverse vertical section, through the assembled button; l

Fig.' 2 is ak section'on line2`--2` lof Fig. 1;

Fig.'3 is a view of the 'upper or iiiale section detached from the4 complementary section and with the push piece 'depressed to retract the spring arms. y

Fig. 4' is a detail plan view of the spring.

Fig. 5 isa View similar to Fig.` 1,v showing a modification..

Fig. 6 is a section on liner 6-6y'of Fig. 5 of the upper member detached.

Figs. 7 and 8 are similarv views of a further modification, and i Figs. 9` and 10. are like views of a still further modification.

Referringby reference characters to these cent the axes openings in the drawings, and first to the form shown iny Figs. 1 to 4, the numeral 1 designates what we term-the male member yof the button and 2 the female member. In the subjoined description, where we use the terms upper and lower in referring to the parts, it will be understood that this is for n convenience 7and applies to the position shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

The male member 1 is of shell formation comprising an upper portionl or head 1a which may be slightly dished, as shown, an intermediate portion 1b providing a central shank portion with outwardly flared marginal portions, the upper of which is interlocked by a joint of the folded seam type with the peripheral edge of the upper part `or head. The outwardly flared lower part is joined by a similar seam to a plate or disc-like member `1c which is'provided vwith a central protuberant part 1d preferably semi-spherical shape. The lower or female memberis similarly composed of a head 2a and an intermediate or'shank portion 2", and adisc-like member 2c provided with an open center, the edge 2d of this open center being turned downwardly to forni an annular shoulder.A The shank and .the relatively broad and fiat bearing surfaces ofthe parts .1 and 2c afford wide bearing surfaces to support-*the when theyl are int'erlocked in a manner hereinafter described. To accomplish this inclamped bythe head portion 1a and adjacent? portion' of the shank member. The ends of this springl are bent inwardly into parallelism, as indicated` at 3, and adjaof the buttony are provided with depending lspring arms having Vdivergent portions indicated at 3b, and outy protuberant part is of such size as to fit within the recessformed by the open center andhollow -vbutton parts againstl rocking movement n be more.' readily understood, we have annexed hereto wardly or angularly turned ends 3 which are seated in and adapted to project through l protuberant part 1d, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the openings being so located 'that when the spring larms are projected through `the openings and the button parts are assembled, they will engage tlie annular shoulder 2d and hold the parts firmly locked together. For manipu- Cil lating the spring arms I provide a push piece l of hollow formation and preferably tubular, which is of a size to be slidably guided by the contracted shank portion of the male member of vthe button, this push piece extending through an opening in the top la and being preferably covered by a cap of inverted dish shape having an annular flange 5n which engages beneath the edge of the opening. The push piece 4i is provided with an opening la for the passage of the parallel portions of the spring so as to enable the divergent arms to lie within the push piece, this opening t" being elongated sufficiently to permit the free sliding movement of thepush piece. The vangularity of the portions 3b of the spring Aarms is sufli cient to cause their spring action to tend to hold the push piece in its elevated position, as shown in Fig. l, and to return it to this position when the pressure of the thumb on the push piece is removed. To assemble the button parts, as above described, the protuberant part ld is aligned with the recess and the -head 2 and push cap 5 being grasped' between fa thumb and finger, pressure will cause the parts to be snapped together and firmly interloclred as soon as the pressure is relieved. To release the parts, 'pressure :on the cap 5 will withdraw the angularly bent spring ends from `enagement with the flange 2d, when the parts may be readily separated.

In the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6, instead of using tubular push piece we make this in the form of a cylindrical lmember ld having a Vbifureated or slotted lower end. The spring armsBd extend 'downward on diametrically opposite sides of the push piece and are provided with inwardly converging or inclined portions 3e underlying the `top wall of the slot, the end'portions of the arms being horizontally turned and extending in opposite directions through the openings in the protuberant shell vpart and adapted to engage the flange of the shell part in the same manner as in thev form first described. The tendency of the arms 3d to spring towards each other causes their inclined portions to maintain the push piece elevated and in the position shown in Fig. 5, but pressure on 'the 'push piece forces'them apart and withdraws the ends of their horizontal 'portions from lock-ing engagement with 'the 'fiange ofthe female part.

In the form shown in Figs. 7 and S we show a cylindrical push piece 4f `similar to the push piece of 'the first form, but make the spring arms of substantially elongated U form, as shown at 3f, havinginclined or diverging' cam faces f cooperating with the lower edges ofthe push member and having 'lateral projections f for `effecting the locking enga-gement. In thisv form the inclination 'of the portions fis such that'it would notor might not effect upward movement of the push member, and to insure this we provide a helical compression spring 6 between the top of the spring 4f and the cap piece 5.

Spring 3f in this case is preferably made of flat formation, as shown.

In the form shown in Figs. 9 and l0, which is similar to that just described, we provide the push member 4i with openings to receive theV inclined portions of the spring 3i, these openings being formed by slitting the sheet metal of which the push piece is made to form tongues z' which are bent inwardly to'form inclined cam members with which the inclined portions ofthe spring arms coact in a manner which will be readily understood.

It will be obvious that various other .modilications might be made without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

l. A separable button comprising male and female members, said male member having a shell part to fit the recessiof the female part, whichis `provided with lateral openings, a pair of spring arms carried by said male member having inclined portions and angular projections extending through said openings, said female member having -retaining means for engaging said ends, and an axially movable push piece carried -by said male member having opposed wall portions juxtaposed to said diverging spring arms.

2. A separable button lcomprising a recessed member anda complementary hollow member having a protuberant part to lit said recess, .said hollowmember having an enlargedhead and relatively narrow shank, a spring comprising ya coil located in said enlarged head and having (li-verging arms located in said shank and having angularly turned ends projecting through openings in said protuberant par-t, said recessed member having retaining. means to engvlge said spring ends, and a push 4piece slidably guided in said narrow shank and coacting with said idiverging spring arms.

A separable vbuttoncomprisinga female member having a relatively broad at face with a centrally disposed vrecess, .there being an annular iiange surrounding said recess forming a shoulder, and a mal-'e member having a relatively broad flat vface to coa-ct with said flat face of the female member and having a protuberant part having 'openings in its wall adjacent said shoulder, spring arms having angularly turned ends extendingthrough said openings and rengaging said shoulder, and means for contracting said arms to disengage said 'ends from said shoulder. Y

1l. A separable button comprising a recessed member and a complementary lhollow member having a protuberant part to fit said recess, said hollow member having an enlarged head and relatively narrow shank, a spring comprising a coil located in said enlarged head and having diverging arms located in said shank and having angularly turned ends projecting through openings in said protuberant part, said recessed member having retaining means to engage Said spring ends, a hollow push piecev slidably guided in said narrow shank and embracing said divergingv arms, said hollow push piece having elongated openings through which the spring extends.

5. A separa-ble button comprising a recessed member and a complementary hollow member having a. protuberant part to fit said recess` said hollow 'member `having an enlarged head and relatively narrow shank, a spring comprising a coil located in said enlarged heady and having diverging arms located in said shank and having annularly turned ends projecting through openingsin said protuberant part, said recessed member having retainingk means to engage saidy spring ends, a. hollow push piece slidably guided in saidnarrow shank and embracing said diverging arms, said hollow-push piece having elongated openings through 1which the spring extends, said push piece extending through an opening in the outer wall of said complementary hollow member, and a push cap covering the end of said push piece and extending through the opening and having a part extending from its periphery and underlying the edge of the' openingfin said outer wall. i j

6. A separable button comprising `a hollow member havingan enlarged head and t base and-contracted shank, and a protuberant part carried by said base, a hollow push piecev slidably guided iny saidr shank and with means whereby it may be manipulated from the head of said hollow member, said push piece having an opening in its walls, a coil spring located in said enlarged head and having' portions projecting through said opening and bentdownwardly to form diver-ging arms with angularly turned ends located below the lower end of said push piece, and a complementary member having a recess to receive said protuberant part and an annularshoulder to engage said angularlyiturned ends of the diverging arms.

7. A, separable button comprising male and female parts, said female part comprising a shell having an outwardly flared upper end, and a disc having an open center with an angularly turned edge forming an annular shoulder, and an outer edge interlocked 'with said fiared end, and a male part comprising a shell having a shank with a flared lower edge vand a disc-like member having its edge interlocked with said flared lower edge and having va central protuberant part of substantially seini-spherical shape to engage said open center, and spring catches projecting through openings in said protuberant part and adapted vto engage said flange and means for operating said catches.

8. A separable button comprising compleinentary parts, the one having an opening and the other a protuberant part to enter` said opening, said members having relatively wide flat contacting faces surrounding `said opening and protuberant part respectively, spring locking means carried by one of said parts for engaging the other part to hold the parts locked together, and a push piece for actuating said spring locking means. Y i

9. -A separable button comprising complem'entary parts, the one having an opening and the other a protuberant part to enter said opening, said members having relative- -ly wide fiat contacting faces `surrounding said vopening and protuberant part respectively, spring locking means carried by one of said parts for engaging the other' part to hold the parts locked together, and an axially movabley push piece for actuating saidv spring locking means.

10. A separable button of the link type comprising male and female parts, each comprising a sheet metal body having outwardly turned ends, a sheet metal head and base plate having edges overturned to engage said ends` said'base platesbeing relatively broad and affording wide coacting surfaces toprevent rocking of the parts when juxtaposed, resilient locking means carried by one 'of said parts for engaging the other part,

and a push piece for actuating said spring locking means.

In testimony whereof,we afhx our signatures.

JOHN v. riLoHna JOHN F. BABBITT.

Cil 

